Usher is an American singer-songwriter and dancer born on October 14, 1978. He has had a huge impact on R&B and pop music. He started his career young releasing his first album at just 15 years old. By the late 1990s, he became famous with hits like “Nice & Slow” and “You Make Me Wanna…”. His album “8701” in 2001 was also a big success with songs like “U Remind Me” and “U Got It Bad” selling millions worldwide and earning him Grammy Awards.
“Confessions” in 2004 solidified Usher as one of the best-selling artists of the 2000s. It included hits like “Yeah!” “Burn” and “Confessions Part II” selling over 20 million copies globally and earning diamond certification. Despite a change in management in 2007 his albums “Here I Stand” and “Raymond v. Raymond” both debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart featuring singles like “Love in This Club” and “OMG”.
Throughout his career, Usher has continued to produce chart-topping music including the singles “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love” and “Scream”. He’s won numerous awards including eight Grammys and has been recognized as one of the best-selling music artists ever with over 100 million records sold worldwide. Beyond music, He is known for his philanthropy founding the nonprofit Usher’s New Look in 1999.
| Full Name | Usher Raymond IV |
| Date of Birth | October 14, 1978 |
| Place of Birth | Dallas, Texas, USA |
| Occupation | Singer, Songwriter, Actor |
| Height | 5 feet 7 inches (172 cm) |
| Spouse | Jennifer Goicoechea Grace Harry Tameka Foster |
| Children | Usher Raymond V, Naviyd Ely Raymond |
| Net Worth | $180 million |
Usher’s Early Life and Education
Usher was born Usher Raymond IV on October 14, 1978, in Dallas Texas spent most of his childhood in Chattanooga Tennessee. His parents are Jonnetta Patton (formerly O’Neal) from Tennessee and Usher Raymond III. His father left when he was just a year old leaving his mother to raise him along with his stepfather and half-brother James Lackey (born in 1984).
At the age of nine under his mother’s guidance Usher joined his local church’s youth choir in Chattanooga where his grandmother first noticed his singing talent. It wasn’t until he became part of a singing group that she thought he could sing professionally. To support his budding career His family relocated to Atlanta Georgia where they believed he would have better opportunities. In Atlanta, he attended North Springs High School.
Career
Usher’s journey into music began early. At just ten years old he joined a local R&B group called NuBeginnings set up by Darryl Wheeler. They recorded an album together but Usher’s mom Jonnetta Patton pulled him out due to a negative experience. The album was later released nationwide in 2002.
At 13, Usher met A.J. Alexander at an Atlanta talent show. Alexander who worked for Bobby Brown helped Usher get exposure by arranging performances at various venues. This led to Usher catching the attention of Bryant Reid from LaFace Records after appearing on Star Search. Impressed Reid signed Usher on the spot and Usher’s mom left her job to manage his budding career.
Despite these early successes Usher faced challenges. His voice changed during puberty causing delays in his debut album’s release and doubts from his label. To refine his skills Usher spent time in New York under the mentorship of Puff Daddy despite finding it tough.
In 1994, He released his first self-titled album produced with Puff Daddy. While it reached number 25 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart it didn’t meet expectations initially. Undeterred Usher’s mom helped him build a stronger fan base through talent shows boosting his confidence and support from LaFace Records.
After finishing high school Usher continued honing his craft and laid the groundwork for his second album. He collaborated with Jermaine Dupri on “My Way” released in 1997. The album’s singles like “You Make Me Wanna…” and “Nice & Slow” propelled Usher to stardom earning him his first US number-one hit and multiple awards.
Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, Usher’s career expanded into acting with roles in TV shows and films. His third album initially called “All About U” was rebranded as “8701” and released in 2001 featuring hit singles like “U Remind Me” and “U Got It Bad”. This album solidified Usher’s place as a major R&B artist and earned him more accolades including Grammy Awards.
Usher’s versatility continued to shine as he balanced music with acting appearing in various films and continuing to release successful albums marking his evolution into a pop culture icon.
His fourth album Confessions came out on March 23, 2004, just as it’s first single “Yeah!” was dominating the charts. The album debuted with nearly 1.1 million sales in its first week setting a record for the highest debut by a male R&B artist and one of the best in music history at the time. It went on to sell over 20 million copies worldwide earning Usher a Diamond certification from the RIAA for over 14 million sales in the US alone.
Confessions spawned hits like “Burn” and “Confessions Part II” both topping the Billboard Hot 100. Usher made history by being the first artist with four consecutive number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay. The album also featured “My Boo” a duet with Alicia Keys and “Caught Up.” Usher received numerous awards for Confessions including Grammys and Billboard Music Awards.
To support Confessions, Usher embarked on “The Truth Tour” known for its elaborate stage setup and special guest performances by artists like Kanye West and Ludacris. The tour was a commercial success and was later released as a DVD.
Following Confessions, Usher continued his success with albums like “Here I Stand” and “Raymond v. Raymond”. His single “Love In This Club” from “Here I Stand” reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. “Raymond v. Raymond” released in 2010 also debuted at number one and included hits like “OMG” and “There Goes My Baby.”
His career expanded into acting and Broadway where he starred in Chicago receiving praise for his performance despite a brief hiatus due to illness. He continued to collaborate with artists like R. Kelly and appeared in various films and award shows throughout the 2000s.
In November 2011, Usher announced plans for his next album aiming to create what he called “revolutionary pop” by blending different music styles. His seventh album “Looking 4 Myself” released worldwide on June 8, 2012, received positive reviews. Usher aimed to break away from his usual style wanting the album to reflect his current musical direction rather than his past work. He described it as his most artistic effort yet marking a new phase in his career.
The album’s lead single “Climax” debuted in February 2012 followed by “Scream” and “Lemme See” featuring Rick Ross. “Climax” became one of Usher’s longest-running number-one hits. In 2013 Usher joined NBC’s “The Voice” as a coach for seasons four and six mentoring contestants to victory in the latter season.
Usher announced his eighth album “UR” in March 2013 promising a diverse musical experience. He described it as pushing boundaries similar to his acclaimed album “Confessions.” The album’s first single “Good Kisser” topped the Airplay charts with subsequent hits like “She Came to Give It to You” and “I Don’t Mind.”
In 2014, He launched “The UR Experience Tour” in support of his upcoming album featuring an innovative live show across North America and Europe. He also released a new song “Clueless” in collaboration with Honey Nut Cheerios.
In 2015, Usher released the interactive music video “Chains” on Tidal addressing racial profiling and police brutality. His eighth album initially titled “UR” was renamed “Flawed” but faced delays and remained unreleased by early 2016. He continued to collaborate with other artists maintaining a presence in the music industry.
Usher expanded his career into management with Scooter Braun in 2016 joining forces after the success of Justin Bieber. He also starred as Sugar Ray Leonard in the biographical film “Hands of Stone” released in 2016 and released singles like “Missin U” and “Rivals.”
In September 2016, He released his album “Hard II Love” which debuted at number 5 on the Billboard 200. It featured singles like “No Limit” which topped the R&B charts solidifying Usher’s position as a consistent force in contemporary music.
Usher has been busy in recent years with various music projects and performances. In October 2018, he dropped his album “A” featuring collaborations with Future and Gunna all produced by Zaytoven. Later that year he headlined the RNB Fridays Live tour in Australia and New Zealand selling over 150000 tickets. Billboard reported in November 2018 that Usher signed a management deal and was working on a new album for 2019.
In December 2018, Usher performed at the Global Citizen Festival in South Africa. He also made a cameo in the movie “Hustlers” in 2019 featuring on its soundtrack his song “Love in This Club”. In early 2019 he teased a possible follow-up to his hit album “Confessions”. Later that year he performed at the Smoking Grooves Festival and joined “The Voice” as a battle advisor.
In 2019, Usher collaborated with DJ Black Coffee on the hit song “Lalala” which topped the South African charts. He also featured on Summer Walker’s album and released singles like “Don’t Waste My Time”. He paid tribute to Prince at the Grammy Awards and was set to host the iHeartRadio Music Awards before its postponement due to COVID-19.
During 2020 Usher executive produced a dance competition series and released tracks like “SexBeat” and “I Cry”. He announced a residency in Las Vegas starting in 2021 and later moved it to Park MGM. In 2022, Usher left RCA Records and signed with Gamma Music for his next album.
Recently Usher headlined NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts and released the single “GLU”. He announced another residency in Paris and dropped singles like “Good Good” and “Boyfriend”. He’s set to perform at Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show and release his ninth studio album “Coming Home” in February 2024 coinciding with a major tour across North America and Europe.
Net Worth
Usher has an estimated net worth of $180 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The main source of Usher’s net worth comes from his successful career in music. He’s known for his hit songs, albums, and live performances, which have made him a popular and influential artist in the music industry.
Additionally, he has ventured into other areas like acting and business, which have also contributed to his overall net worth. Overall, it’s his music career that has been the primary driver of his financial success.
Personal life
In 2001, Usher started dating Chilli Thomas from the group TLC but they broke up after three years. Around 2003 Usher began working on his album “Confessions” which included songs inspired by his own life and that of his collaborators. Despite rumors the songs about cheating and mistresses weren’t based on Usher’s experiences but on challenges faced by Jermaine Dupri. This created confusion and led to speculation causing strain in Usher’s relationship with Chilli eventually leading to their breakup in 2004.
Afterward, there was a lot of media attention on “Confessions” with many fans believing the album reflected Usher’s real-life infidelity issues. In interviews, Chilli hinted at Usher being unfaithful but Usher denied that cheating caused their split clarifying that the album wasn’t about their relationship.
In the following years, Usher briefly dated supermodel Naomi Campbell and was linked to model Eishia Brightwell. In 2005, he started dating Tameka Foster who was his stylist. They got engaged in 2007 after a postponed wedding and married twice that year.
In 2008, Usher’s father passed away prompting him to briefly adopt a vegan diet for health reasons. He later returned to a non-vegan diet due to cost concerns.
Through his marriage to Tameka Usher became stepfather to her three sons and had two sons of their own. Tragedy struck when one of Tameka’s sons died in 2012. Usher also faced a custody battle with Tameka after their divorce in 2009.
Usher’s career remained strong with high earnings and accolades including Forbes’ Celebrity 100 list. Personal challenges continued when Tameka suffered a health scare in 2009 and they divorced in 2009 followed by a custody battle for their children.
In 2015, Usher quietly married his longtime girlfriend and manager Grace Miguel confirming the marriage on TV. They separated in 2018 and divorced later that year. Allegations involving herpes surfaced in 2017 with legal disputes following.
In 2020, He announced he was expecting a child with music executive Jenn Goicoechea whom he married in 2024 after dating since 2019.
Philanthropy
Usher started New Look a nonprofit aiming to give young people new opportunities through education and real-world experience. One of its main projects camp New Look launched in 2005 at Clark Atlanta University. They also began “Our Block” in 2006 helping rebuild parts of New Orleans.
New Look expanded to cities like Baltimore Detroit and Los Angeles focusing on Talent Education Services and Career pillars. They start in 8th grade and support students through high school and beyond ensuring education remains central. Participants see high graduation rates and move on to higher education or jobs.
After Hurricane Katrina Usher launched Project Restart aiding over 700 families with housing and utilities in New Orleans. He also helped clean up the city with local students earning recognition and a key to the city. In 2011 he received the Freedom Award for his philanthropy from the National Civil Rights Museum.
In 2015, He visited Chattanooga his hometown making surprise visits to schools and a nonprofit. He emphasized education’s importance inspired by his grandmother. He donated to improve dance studios and an auditorium. That year he joined others to donate over $500000 in scholarships to students at historically black colleges.
In 2018, Usher contributed to Colin Kaepernick’s $1 million pledge to oppressed communities supporting a charity in Georgia.
Awards
Usher has achieved tremendous success in his career with several notable achievements:
He has received numerous awards including 8 Grammy Awards 18 Billboard Music Awards 12 Soul Train Music Awards and 8 American Music Awards.
Usher’s albums including “Confessions” “My Way” “8701” “Raymond v. Raymond” and “Here I Stand” have collectively sold over 33 million copies in the US and 53 million worldwide.
He has had nine number-one singles and eighteen top-ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100 spending a total of 47 weeks at the top.
He holds records like spending 28 weeks at number-one in 2004 alone on the Hot 100 and he was the first artist of the 2010s to have number-one singles in three consecutive decades.
His song “Yeah!” topped the Year-End Hot 100 chart in 2004 with “Burn” following at second place a feat not achieved since The Beatles in 1964.
Usher is recognized as Billboard’s 2nd most successful artist of the 2000s and ranks highly on several all-time artist lists including being placed at number 14 on the “Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Artists” list by Billboard.
His impact on music is also noted through his induction into various halls of fame including the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
